Tax rate

stable in

township

Owner of the average

E.B. home will pay

$1,470 this year

EAST BRUNSWICK — Taxes will remain stable this year. Mayor Bill Neary announced that the municipal tax rate will remain at 98 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

Neary presented the $43,145,975 budget during last week’s Township Council meeting. The total budget will decrease by $605,007, or 1.4 percent, from last year’s total budget.

The average owner of a home assessed at $150,000 would pay $1,470 over the course of a year.

Neary said that the township was able to keep taxes stable because of several factors.

"There’s the consolidation of businesses," Neary said. "We retired some debt. There was an increase in commercial ratables, with the mall and other stores. Plus, we’re watching how we spend our money."

One of the notable aspects of the budget is a $230,000 township allocation for open space, the first that the town has ever committed.

"The referendum money has bought us some land but not the smaller lands in residential areas," Neary said. "We want to use this money to purchase some of those properties."

In addition, the township has set aside approximately $35,000 to purchase defibrillators for every police car and train every patrolman in the use of them.

Neary also introduced the $2,341,882 capital budget, which includes various drainage, park, and road upgrades.

Among the roads to be improved are Hollis Road, Grace Road, parts of Dunhams Corner Road, and Kossman Street, while Peach Orchard, Ryders Lane, and New Brunswick Avenue will all see work done on traffic lights.

In addition, the township will improve the Country Lane Park by making it accessible to the handicapped and by installing new equipment. Neary also said that the township would replace all of the trees currently on the waiting list for replacement in the coming year.

The township will also replace the roof on the township Senior Center and purchase a new van for senior transportation.

The library’s budget will increase by $100,000, and that additional funding will be used to replace the telephone system, eliminate obsolete computer terminals, and improve the ramp at the rear door of the building.

The Township Council will hold a public hearing on the budget on March 20 and will vote on it on March 27.